Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has been proclaimed King of Thailand upon the death of his father, the late King Bhumibol Alulyadej. His majesty was officially proclaimed King by Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who heads the military junta which seized power in 2014, officially announced the King's succession this afternoon, and said his government will ask the National Assembly to invite the new King to assume the throne as per the rules of succession.

The new King has had a complex personal history that now puts the succession in some question.

On 3 January 1977 the then Crown Prince married PrincessSoamsawali (born 1957), a first cousin on his mother's side. They had one daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha (born 1978). Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn then began a relationshiop with actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth in the late 1970s and had five children with her. Although Princess Soamsawali had refused a divorce for many years (backed by her aunt Queen Sirikit), Vajiralongkorn was finally allowed by his father to sue for divorce in January 1993. The divorce was finalized in July 1993. However Princess Soamsawali and her daughter continued to play a significant role in royal ceremonies.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn's companion, Yuvadhida Polpraserth, gave birth to his first son, Prince Juthavachara Mahidol, on 29 August 1979. They later had three more sons and a daughter. They were married at a palace ceremony in February 1994, where they were blessed by the King and the Princess Mother, but not by the Queen who apparently continued to firmly back her niece Princess Soamsawali. After the marriage, she Yuvadhida was allowed to change her name to Mom Sujarinee Mahidol na Ayudhaya, signifying she was a commoner married to a royal. She was also commissioned as a major in the Royal Thai Army and took part in royal ceremonies with Vajiralongkorn. In 1996, two years after the wedding, Mom Sujarinee (as she was now known) fled to Britain with all her children amid sordid accusations and recriminations. Later, the prince took custody of the daughter born to him and Sujarinee and brought her back to Thailand to live with him. The child was later elevated to the rank of princess, whilst Sujarinee and her sons were stripped of their diplomatic passports and titles. She and her sons later moved to the United States. She is now known as Sujarinee Vivacharawongse.

Prince Vajiralongkorn married again, on 10 February 2001, to Srirasmi Suwadee(royal name Akharaphongpreecha), a commoner of modest background who had been in his service since 1992. The marriage was not disclosed to the public until early 2005. She gave birth to a son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, on 29 April 2005 and was elevated to the rank of Princess. The son was immediately elevated to the rank of Prince.

In November 2014, Vajiralongkorn sent a letter to the interior ministry asking for Princess Srirasmi's family to be stripped of the royal name Akharaphongpreechaawarded to her, following allegations of corruption against seven of her relatives. The following month, in December 2014, Srirasmi relinquished all her royal titles and the royal name, and was officially divorced from Vajiralongkorn. She was exiled to retire to an undisclosed residence and received 200 million baht ($5.5 Million USD) as a settlement. They were married for 13 years, but had been separated for a significant period of time.

The question now arises as to which of the new King's four sons will be recognized as his heir and Crown Prince. His son Prince Dipangkorn is the only one of his sons to retain his princely title, but like his three elder half-brothers, the divorce of his parents puts his status into question. The allowance for female succession also puts the King's daughters into play. His daughter from his first marriage has always retained her royal title, as has his daughter from his second marriage. Hopefully the order of succession will be cleared up shortly.

__________________The Lion of Judah hath prevailed.

Ethiopia stretches her hands unto God (Quote from Psalm 68 which served as the Imperial Motto of the Ethiopian Empire)

"God and history shall remember your judgment." (Quote from Emperor Haile Selassie I's speech to the League of Nations to plead for assistance against the Italian Invasion, 1936.)

Oddly enough, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has asked for a delay in being officially proclaimed King by the National Assembly. He states he'd like "some time mourning his father with the Thai people". Not sure what to make of that!!!

I have to say it: with all due respect to the deep and profound nationwide grief for King Bhumibol which I find touching, I don't like this "sedevacantist" succession delay in Thailand. Maybe it's my Anglophilic bias, but it seems to me that a Throne should never be vacant and that absolute legal continuity ("The king is dead; long live the king") is part of the essence of the advantages of a hereditary monarchy. (While Elizabeth II was not crowned until over a year after her father's death, she was legally Queen from the instant he breathed his last.) I know Belgian succession is not automatic either (I remember being frustrated by the brief gap between Baudouin and Albert II in 1993, with one report initially announcing that Philippe would accede), so it's not just an Asian thing; I disagree with Belgium's system in that respect as well. In royal history, mourning a royal parent has generally not been considered to preclude the heir's immediate accession as the new monarch, after all, grief can last for years. In 1946 King Bhumibol was proclaimed King the same day his brother died, a death that was far more shocking and mysterious than his 70 years later. I would very much like to be able to call Vajiralongkorn King, but since I have no authority I can't do it at my website until governments and the media do. What worries me is the possibility that enemies of the Monarchy (and they do exist despite the appearance of unanimous royalism) could exploit the idea that Thais loved only this particular king, not necessarily the institution. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, who will have my full support as a monarchist, needs to establish himself as King and quickly. Great as King Bhumibol was, we cannot allow the idea to gain any ground that the Thai monarchy cannot continue without him.

It may be a whole year before Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn in proclaimed King. This is very much out of the ordinary for Thailand, as previous monarchs were proclaimed King immediately upon the death of their predecessor. As I feared there are now whispers in connection with his succession and speculation surrounding his sister Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The Crown Prince has been accompanied during the state events surrounding his father's death so far, by his current companion Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhaya, a former flight attendant. She is being referred to officially as a Lt. General, and as the Prince's consort.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn standing between his fashion designer daughter Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (his daughter by his second marriage) and Lt. General Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhaya who is being called his consort (in the yellow dress), while attending an fashion event in honor of his daughter in Paris.__________________The Lion of Judah hath prevailed.

Ethiopia stretches her hands unto God (Quote from Psalm 68 which served as the Imperial Motto of the Ethiopian Empire)

"God and history shall remember your judgment." (Quote from Emperor Haile Selassie I's speech to the League of Nations to plead for assistance against the Italian Invasion, 1936.)

It's too bad about the delayed succession in Thailand, but maybe it'll all end up working out for the best. It will give the people of Thailand a chance to mourn for the deceased King, and if a coronation date could be set well in advance, it will give them something to look forward to and celebrate. Hopefully Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, at age 63, has finished sowing his wild oats, and he can settle down to the business of being a king, with or without a consort, and represent the monarchy with the dignity that position deserves.__________________Dis Aliter Visum "Beware of martyrs and those who would die for their beliefs; for they frequently make many others die with them, often before them, sometimes instead of them."

Prem Tinsulanonda served as Prime Minister of Thailand during the 1980s. Though a military man, Thailand in the 80s enjoyed constitutional government after the suppression of student movements in the 70s.

It's not baseless speculation. It is officially announced that the Prince asked for a delay in being proclaimed king, and the government has gone along with this wishes. Look at the many news links posted here and the official announcements made by the Prime Minister. It is not the norm, as previous kings were proclaimed immediately upon the death of the previous monarch.__________________The Lion of Judah hath prevailed.

Ethiopia stretches her hands unto God (Quote from Psalm 68 which served as the Imperial Motto of the Ethiopian Empire)

"God and history shall remember your judgment." (Quote from Emperor Haile Selassie I's speech to the League of Nations to plead for assistance against the Italian Invasion, 1936.)

The government is discussing a time frame for mourning events and the proclamation of the new king. It appears that they intend on proclaiming the king after the 15 day purification of the body and merit making ceremonies have ended.

Originally Posted by EthiomonarchistThe government is discussing a time frame for mourning events and the proclamation of the new king. It appears that they intend on proclaiming the king after the 15 day purification of the body and merit making ceremonies have ended.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn has announced that he will leave Thailand and go abroad on personal business, and will not be back for another month. This thows a wrench into the government's plans to proclaim him King within the next few days. There is concern that this act could unsettle the transition and cause further doubts about an orderly succession.

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